AFTER THE BATTLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8704, 18 August 1906, Page 2

AFTER THE BATTLE.

Germans Occupy Sheffield. Sheffield was utterly dumfounded. The barricades had besn broken down. and ewept away. The troops, of whom tlhey had hoped so much, had been fimflriy brushed aside, and now the

streets were full of burly foreigners. G-eorge Sti-eet swarmed with "Wcetphaliaa infantry and men of Lorraine ; in Church Street a squadron of Uhlans wero dr»wn up opposite tiie Sheffield and Hallamshire Bank, while the sidewalk was Occupied by piled a.rms of the 39th. Fusilier Regiment. In the space around the Town Hall the 6th Infantry Regiment of the Rhine and a regiment of Cuirassiers were standing at ease-. Many of the stalwart eons of the Fatherland were seen to light their pipes and stolidly enjoy a smoke, while officers in small groups stood h«.re and there discussing tlie events of the victorious- day. The sadctes-t scenes were to be witnessed at the Royal Infirmary in Infirmary Road, at the Royal Hospital in W«st Street, and ©veil in some of the vacant wards in the Jeseop Hcspn'tal for Women in Victoria Street,* which had to be requisitioned for th« accommodation of the crowds of wounded of both nations, co constantly being brought in by carts, carriages, motor-oars, and . even cabs. The St John Ambutanc© B^orpifle, with many ladies, were doing all tb-ey could to render ; aid, while tfc© Queen Victoria's Jußilee Institute for Nnrees was e&H&d upon for all available help. Every place wh«re siok could be aooommodated, including the well-known George Woofindin Convalescent Home, wad orowded to orerflotving with sufferers, while every doctor in Sheffield bore his part in unceasing surgical work. But the number of dead on bot3i sidee it was impossible to estinial>6. \

At the ToWn Hall tihe Lord Mayor, aldermen, and councillors assembled, and met th-e German Genera], who sternly and abruptly demanded the payment of half a million pounds Sterling in gold a& an indemnity, together with the production of all stores that the German. Army should require in' order that they could ro-victual. , In reply, the Lord Mayor, after constiltang with tfoe Council, stated that hie would call a meeting of all bank mana-geic and heads of. tfee great manufacturing firms in order that the > demand might be,." as far ac pceeible, complied with. Thife answer was promised at 5 p.m. Meanwhile, on the notice-boaaxJ outside the Town Hall a proclamation, of wtbidh tihe following is a copy, was affixed by the Chief of the -German Staff,, a sentry being posted on either side of it to prevent it being torn down.

Copies wore sent to the offices of the local newspapers, and witbin half an hour its tenor was known in ©very part of the city. Within half an hour of the fall of Sheffield, the news was known in London, and the text of the proclamation reached tho metropolis that same evening, having been telegraphed from BJathersage Station. . Shortly after five the Lord Mayor appeared in the Council Chamber at Sheffield and announced that the local bank managers had agreed, in the unfortunate circum stances, to furnish the sum demanded, and so obviate the necessity of having their strong-rooms ,broken open by the explosives of the enemy, lie read a list of the bullion held at that moment by the various banking companies in the city, and all General von Biertram had to do was to send to the various offices, each of which would, on the following day before noon, pay its quota. /The seen© in tho city was one of terrible turmoil and deep&st anxiety, but, a 6 y&a afterwards proved -, the enemy were treating the inhabitants with marked courtesy and consideration. So far, the object of the invaders had been attained, and there was no secret now made of their future plans. They

had carried out the scheme as«originally decided upon at the Emperor's final Council of War at Potsdam. The intention was to proceed south, after having collected the money and provisions they needed, and it was quite clear that Birmingham was to -bear the brunt of their next attack. The main question now was whether von Bistram would be so successful in the south a 6 he had been in Sheffield. Throughout the night German cavalry patrolled all the mam streets, most 'of the infantry being now reassembled into their own brigades, divisions and army corps on tho southern outskirts of the city, and in Norton, Coal A6ton, Dronfield and Whittington were being established the headquarters of the four different divisions of which the VHth and Vlllth Corps respectively were composed. All defence of Sheffield had been broken. The British were in full flight.and the two victorious corps now liad the way open to advance to the metropolis of tn© Midlands^ for they kn«\v that they had left behind them only a shattered remnant of what, the day before, had been the British Army of the North.